President strikes right chord President Mnangagwa
President Mnangagwa delivers his Inauguration Speech.

President Mnangagwa delivers his Inauguration Speech.

Nqobile Tshili Bulawayo Bureau
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday struck the right chord in his inaugural speech as the country’s leader through committing to reviving the country’s economy and normalising local and international relations, analysts have said.

The President said the land reform was irreversible, calling for political tolerance in the country, promising financial stability and re-engaging the international community for the revival of the economy. Analysts said President Mnangagwa’s speech was flawless, as it was addressing the critical sectors that will stir economic growth and stability.

MDC president Professor Welshman Ncube, who is also MDC Alliance spokesperson, congratulated the President for what he termed a “very candid speech.”

“Acknowledging that the country is in trouble is a first step towards addressing the challenges we face. Acknowledging that we are in this situation because of policies that are not consistent with the 21st Century is the right step. Therefore, we need to promote investment, we need to respect people’s rights, we need to hold regular free and fair elections, we need to make peace with the international community,” he said.

All these are the right things to say and we congratulate him for saying the right things which ought to be said.

“Now, the taste of the pudding is in the execution and that’s where the big issue is. He has articulated a policy direction which resonates with the challenges that the country is facing.”

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Mr Sifelani Jabangwe said President Mnangagwa’s speech was exciting to the business sector, as it committed to addressing corruption. He said as President Mnangagwa vowed to hit the ground running, those in lower positions should run faster.

“When the leader says he is hitting the ground running, everyone has to run faster so that you don’t get left behind,” said Mr Jabangwe. “His indication that it’s not business as usual is key because we’ve issues that we have to attend to quite quickly, because implementation of programmes has always been a challenge.”

Mr Jabangwe said President Mnangagwa’s speech was also a wake-up call for civil servants and the business sector, calling on captains of industry to position themselves to support Government programmes. Zimbabwe Teachers Association (zimta) president Mr Richard Gundani congratulated President Mnangagwa and said his speech created an element of optimism.

He said the President’s reference to the Constitution created hope for civil servants, especially when it comes to Government and employees’ national joint negotiating council.

“We are very happy with the statement which alludes to the recovery of the economy. That is what we are all looking for. In the short time we are looking towards the stabilisation of what is obtaining in the financial sector, shortage of money. We are hoping that by fixing the economy, he is going to stabilise the prices making products cheaper, which will bring down the poverty datum line,” said Mr Gundani.

Mr Gundani said President Mnangagwa was preaching to the converted when he called for civil servants to prioritise service delivery, saying the education sector was committed to its duty.

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